France to open justice system with trial broadcasts

‘There is a risk that it will be up to the minister to decide – which could turn it into a political tool’

TELEVISION crews will be allowed to film and broadcast trials in France under a controversial draft bill the government says will help “improve trust in the justice system”.

Eric Dupond-moretti, the French justice minister, is to present the draft law at a council of ministers meeting today.

He said citizens needed to reconnect with the law courts in the light of a poll suggesting that half of the country doesn’t trust its judicial institutions.

Currently, cameras and sound equipment are strictly forbidden inside court except in exceptional circumstances, namely trials considered “historic”, such as one last autumn regarding the Paris terror attacks in 2015.

Even then, recordings are not made available to the media.

The law would allow the media in if the trial was deemed “in the public interest” and would only allow footage to be broadcast after the verdict and aired a maximum of five years from that.

Mr Dupond-moretti said excerpts of court cases could be broadcast in a weekly justice programme by a state broadcaster with commentary from a judge and lawyer.

“If you ask people in the street what you called the presiding judge of a criminal court, loads of people will say ‘your honour’ like in the American series,” he told France Inter.

He said the French needed to be “educated” and “taken by the hand to show them how it works”.

However, trials not open to the public could only be filmed with approval from all parties. In those open to the public, those on trial would not be able to oppose being filmed but could request not to be identified. Some members of the judiciary appeared wary of the prospect of “show trials”.

“I’m scared of voyeurism, that people will come for juicy stuff,” said Caroline Nisand, Evry prosecutor, who added that she was in favour of “a justice system that shows itself ” so people can see “how hard it is to judge”.

The SM magistrate’s union called it a “good idea” to experiment with filming, adding that it was a “fair criticism” that court language was “inaudible”.

However, Ludovic Friat, head of syndicale de la magistrature, another union, warned the notion of “public interest” was “very wide” and that there was a “risk that it would be up to the minister” to decide, which could turn it into a “political communication tool”.

Jérôme Gavaudan, president of the national bar council, said lawyers would require clear guarantees about “the respect of private life”.